


Us Against The World

by nikkori_writing



Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game), Detroit: Become Human (Video Game) RPF, The Last of Us (Video Games), The Maze Runner (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - The Last of Us (Video Games) Setting, Alternate Universe - Zombie Apocalypse, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Angst with a Happy Ending, Apocalypse, Consensual Sex, F/M, Graphic Description, Horror/Romance, Inspired by The Last of Us (Video Games), Inspired by all zombie related movies, Last of us-ish au, Post-Apocalypse, Sex, Survival, Survival Horror, Vaginal Sex, Zombie Apocalypse
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-29
Updated: 2020-12-22
Packaged: 2021-03-09 02:55:25
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 7
Words: 20,667
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27267589
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nikkori_writing/pseuds/nikkori_writing
Summary: An Apocalypse Connor x Kara AU" For me, there is only You. "Kara Williams has lived a life of hell. She had been abused by her adopted father ever since she was young that she had to resist the pain itself. And she wouldn't be surprised if the world suddenly turned into hell itself.Will she endure the suffering brought upon the world by herself? Or will she be able to obtain help from the people that share the world with her?
Relationships: Connor & Kara (Detroit: Become Human), Connor/Kara (Detroit: Become Human)
Kudos: 16





	1. A Stormy Night

Kara Williams, better known as Kara was sent to foster care at a very young age. She was seen in the streets of Detroit, walking towards an isolated parking lot where a chain-link fence was the only thing to protect the abandoned car inside.

They took her in and she grew up with the other children in the building. She had a few friends in these moments, she was often caring for others like a mother. For all Kara knew, she was content to stay in that building, content to grow up with her friends and the children that come in and out. Sure it hurt her to see the others taken by families, but she was also scared.

And her fear grew stronger as she was adopted by a couple named Todd Williams and Melissa Williams. Both looked like in their 30s. She was taken at the age of 9, a little late if she says so herself.

Everyone said that she should be feeling thankful for someone to take her in. She was but he was different from what she imagined he'd be.

The first few weeks in their house was as normal as it could be. Mrs. Williams always had a smile on her face and Mr. Williams would go home and call out to Kara for a hug. Kara wished that the coming days would've stayed like this forever. Though, they didn't. Days became more dim and depressing.

One day, Todd became addicted to a certain powder that Kara didn't know at that time. Melissa grew furious about this and would shout and beg for her husband to stop. Yet, he didn't, ignoring every word that came out of her mouth.

The day then came where Melissa couldn't take it anymore. Kara didn't know if Todd was sober on this day, however, it didn't stop her mother to leave the house.

She hated her mother that day. For she forgot to bring Kara with her.

And on that stormy night, Todd's heart had changed.

He wasn't the father to smile at you and play with you in your backyard, wasn't the father to cook for you or take you to school himself.

No, not anymore. He became the complete opposite.

At first, she thought he was teaching her how to manage her own when she grows up, teaching her how to pay and how to handle her own money. And as she feared, it wasn't all that.

She did go to school, however, every time she goes home before her Todd, she would clean the house to his liking just for him not to get mad. The same routine stayed the same until she got a small job when she turned into a mid adult.

Todd grew older, gained weight, and madder than before at whatever she did and what she didn't do. All because of that powder he inhales. And because of it, her life was was a goddamn mess.

She gets hit even though she did nothing, even though she had stayed quiet. Kara waited for her mother to save her from this hell hole. Though she hadn't come back for her.

And now, Kara had enough. Kara has finally decided and was finally ready. She's been preparing for this day ever since she was brought in this God awful house with this God awful man. Though it felt as if it was a bad time

Tonight in Detroit, it was raining cats and dogs. And it wouldn't be more menacing if there was no lightning and thunder. Kara was upstairs in a hurry to pack her belongings for the long journey, looking for a new home. The moment she finished getting dressed, Todd had called out to her.

"Kara!" he shouts from the living room downstairs, sending a chill down Kara's spine.

She swallows a big gulp "Yes, father?" She asks loudly, enough for him to hear.

"Come down and prepare my fucking dinner! I'm starving..." He said, his angry voice slowly evaporating in the air.

Kara thought of what to do when she gets down those stairs. The endless possibilities that could happen once Todd gets angry once again. She knew that another hit would end it all. Another night and she won't see what tomorrow has to offer.

With those awful thoughts still in her head, she grabs her bag and walked out of her room at the end of the hall. However, She stops over Todd's bedroom door. While she was cleaning this morning, she got a glimpse of his gun inside his nightstand.

And without a second thought, she opened it slowly for him not to hear from downstairs. She quickly rushed to his nightstand, opened its drawer, and grabbed hold of the gun. Kara felt its weight. It's was heavy, meaning the magazine was either half full or entirely full.

Once again a call was heard, and this time, footsteps on the wooden floor were heard. He was to check on her. So Kara quickly hid the gun inside her bag pack and zipped it shut, headed downstairs in a hurry that she almost tripped going down.

When she reached the last steps, she was face to face with her abusive father. The man stopped and looked at her form, her clothing, and her bag pack.

"Where the hell are you goin'?" He asked in almost a whisper. Kara took quick deep breaths and looked down.

"I-It's nothing... You wanted dinner?" Kara attempted to change the subject and walked passed him. She could hear him walking around the house, murmuring something under his breath.

She quickly walked towards the kitchen stove and cooked a simple spaghetti. Once done, she walked towards the dining table and saw Todd already sitting on one of the chairs, his back facing her. Kara's pace slowed down as she neared him. She placed the plate of spaghetti hesitantly and went to her seat.

Both were quiet and both weren't eating their meal. Kara was about to voice out her thoughts of him, voice out how much she hated him, how much she wanted him gone, and leave this house. But before she could, he came first.

"Life's funny, don't you think?" His voice sounded low, his smile menacing, his hands shaking. Kara came to an awful conclusion.

He took them again. Red Ice, a powder meant to offer relaxation and ease if taken with just the right amount. But she didn't believe any of what they've said. The powder does not offer such bliss. She wanted to believe it does, though she was seeing the results in front of her.

"I've lost my job as a construction worker. And every time I go home, I get to see you, and it reminded me of another mouth I had to feed..."

Kara knew he was voicing out his own thoughts. Though she already knew what he felt for her. Although, she doesn't have the same blood that runs through his veins. She accepted that to him, she was nothing. Less than an object, just another nuisance.

"And now, " he looks up from his food to her, his face filled with resentment, while his hands circle into fists. Kara's breathing sped, her hands gripping each other in attempts to calm her "You had the fucking guts to poison me and fucking leave?!"

He shouted as he stood and flipped the table away from in between him and Kara. Kara quickly stood and suddenly caught sight of the car keys clipped on his pants. Though it became a distraction as she didn't get to dodge his punch.

She caught a small chair as she fell and attempted to use it to stand up straight. Kara felt accomplished as she finally gets to dodge another attack from her abuser. He shouts his frustration as she attempts to flee, at least distance herself from her abuser.

"ITS ALL YOUR FAULT! SHE LEFT BECAUSE OF YOU!!!" He shouted and Kara knew that those words wouldn't leave her mind.

From outside, the house made so much notice. Kara could only hope someone would hear them, save her from this psychopath. But she couldn't hold on to that false hope for long as she was the only one who could only save herself now.

He called her names while they fought, threw his empty beer bottles at her, some actually having to hit her. He caught her in time by the neck and held her up to the wall. And if she hadn't pushed him away, she would've been long gone.

Kara trips and falls on her way to the pistol she stole from his nightstand and tries to catch her breath. As she neared her bag, the man had caught her ankle. He shouts what she should be, what she was to him. Saying that he owned her.

As much as she knew this would haunt her, Kara's tears came running out of her blues as she kicked this man as her life depended on it. And it does.

Breaking free, she crawled to her bag and fished the gun from inside. As soon as she lays on her back to face her abuser, out of reflex, he saw him tower over her, nearly to do something she didn't really wouldn't want know.

And _BANG_.

The gunshot rang from miles on end. The ringing in Kara's ear slowly faltered as she pushed the corpse of Todd Williams to the side. She looks at him then to the blood splatter on her shirt.

She knew it wasn't going to be a good idea to be walking outside like this. So she hurried and changed into a black tank top and quickly grabbed an oversized flannel and more clothing for her long journey.

From her way down, she grabbed a good amount of money and closed all the lights. Since she was now already in the living room, she made her way to the kitchen for the remaining food and drinks.

She quickly checked the pistol's amo. Once checked she tucks it at her back. She looks at Todd's corpse for what seemed like a minute and finally reached out for his car keys.

Kara sighs "Hey you... " she whispers to the keys. The house was quiet until she heard someone banging on the backyard door.

It startled her and she slowly rose to her full height. The moment Kara took her first steps, another bang came and was seemingly louder than the last. A few more came before Kara heard growling. A few Bloody hands then broke through the glass windows. Kara felt relieved she thought of locking the doors before she left.

Though Kara knew she shouldn't go near all the of the openings of this house. So she went straight for the front door, pistol now in hand.

However, on her way to the front door, Kara was grabbed by... a person? No, it looked like a person. But its eyes were all white and its skin was pale, veins almost visible.

She tried shoving it off from her arm, and before it could even grind it, she shoots it in between its eyes. Kara takes deep breathes as she looked at this creature's corpse.

After she finally regains her thinking, Kara opened the door slowly and was now exposed to the rain. Kara went for Todd's car, quickly opening the engine. Once open, Kara drove off into the night, wiping the blood splatter her face with her tank top. She drives off, knowing damn well that this night would stay with her forever.

_To be Continued..._


	2. First Night In Hell

The night was young though the streets did not remain silent. Tonight was raining like cats and dogs while there have been reports of killing in the streets in front of civilians that would be encountered and the numbers of their corpses were increasing minute by minute.

Connor Anderson was assigned to this recent case with his father and was sent to chase down an African American man that was recently seen killing in the streets. Both the Andersons have caught the man, saying that he was protecting himself from the monster they thought was still human. Of course, they barely believed him and took him in for questioning.

They got the man to talk though only a little for he feared the future ahead of them and him, implying that he was bit by one of the creatures that lurk the highways. After the interrogation, where they had no leads of what had happened, they hopped out of the room, escorting the prisoner.

"That went surprisingly bad for your first interrogation about this case..." Hank Anderson, A man in his 40s chimed in when they left the cold, grey interrogation room with his son, along with two more officers, one guiding the injured murderer.

The detective chuckles "Beginner's luck..." Gavin Reed teased the lieutenant's son.

"Reed, play nice, we're working together here." The officer said as he escorted the victim inside his cell "Anyway, that's it for tonight's case. The captain suggests doing the remaining tomorrow morning."

"Thank you, officer Miller." Connor smiles after his response and follows his father back to the desk and sits down his chair, letting out a sigh of relief.

They bathe themselves in the noise of shuffling feet and group talks inside the station, the TV noise playing in the background, and the opening and closing of the double glass doors.

Hank looks over to his son "So, you aren't going to leave early tonight again?" He asked, his voice visibly tired from whisky and investigations.

Connor then sits up straight and begins to shuffle through their remaining case files from the current incident "Yeah, I guess. Might as well look for new cases and pick which ones to start first for tomorrow."

As Connor waits for new case files, he stands up from his chair and made his way to the station's small break room, to the coffee dispenser. Once done he sips his coffee and overhears the reporter talking on the TV. All police officers hear the reporter as all their attention was shifted to the man.

> "This just in, a nuclear power plant was reported damaged and its contents had spread through various parts of the city, affecting both the people near the plant and the people working in the area.

> From one of the hospitals in Detroit, there have been patients spotted walking around the highway with several injuries. Police in that area have also reported corpses were also seen on riversides 
> 
> We advise you to remain at home or go to the nearest exits of Detroit and reach the Canadian border in time till further notice.

> All Detroit police departments are to be alerted about this behavior and help evacuate the people of Detroit to their nearest bus terminals and the Canadian border-"

  
A loud thump from the thick glass cell of their recent prisoner was heard by only Connor during the following announcement. He walks over to to the cells and looks over their prisoner, the said man was crying, begging for him to let him go.

"Please! Let me go, I'm infected! I was bitten by one of those monsters!" The man shouted.

Connor observes his figure, all bloody as his mouth, his eyes almost all white, and veins were almost visible to the naked eye. His skin nearly pale and Connor finally sees what the man has declared to be the bite mark. His heart had stopped. Another officer then came from the other side of the corridor, visibly annoyed and wasn't moved from the prisoner's words.

The man began to open the door and the prisoner went quiet. Hank went behind Connor, asking about his situation. Connor remained silent.

The glass cell door finally opens and the prisoner launches himself to the man. His scream echoed through the station and everyone's attention shifted from the screens to the horrid scene occurring behind them. Hank and Connor finally lifted their handguns and pointed it at their previous prisoner. The creature then smells his surroundings and looks over to the Andersons, then soon charges towards them. And not another step, Connor shoots it first, using his first bullet of the night.

"Holy shit..." Hank remarks to either the prisoner or Connor's speed. He held a hand to his son's shoulder "Son, are you alright?"

"... I'm ok..." Connor spoke in a monotone voice, the grip on his gun still right though his finger thankfully isn't near the trigger.

Not long after the Captain joins the scene, shouting his question then not long after the officer who was recently thought dead from the attack, arose from the ground with a growl under his breath. And this time, Hank was the one that took the shot.

"Jeffrey, tell every civilian to leave the station, NOW!" Hank commands and pulls Connor away from two corpses. "Connor! Jesus Christ, snap out of it!"

Young Anderson hides behind his desk while his father hid behind the table in the middle of the stations. The said monsters have entered the station eating the people that were seated silently in their places while the remaining officers fight with all their might to survive the night. They grab whoever they can to protect, however, not one civilian survived the attack.

All that was heard in the station for those minutes were gunshots, that Connor and Hank would occasionally join in, alongside the sounds that those beasts make. Though it didn't take long for these sounds to stop, Connor and Hank getting the chance to pop out of their hiding places. As soon as both were out, almost all officers had died down from the attack, except them including Gavin Reed and a few more men and women.

"And here I thought this night couldn't get any worse..." Gavin remarked and kicked away one corpse from his feet.

"There's no report from the other department. Radio signals also got weaker." Officer Tina noted to everyone that survived the raid.

All officers lowered their heads to those corpses while Hank thought of something brilliant. Connor was the only one to notice how his old man's eyes beamed.

"Everyone, form into groups of two. Search the city for surviving officers or civilians. And if Ya see one of those things, do not hesitate to shoot..." Hank took a moment to look at the remaining officers in the station, almost trying to remember their faces one last time.

"Alright then, SUITE UP!"

The six of them went to the weaponry and picked the right amount of handguns shotguns rifles, and radios. And just to make sure, they also equipped bulletproof vests to help along the way. Once done they gathered around in a circle.

"Now," Hank starts while he reloads his shotgun

"If it's possible to go back to your homes, go back and gather all the equipment that would help along the way, Connor and I will do the same. Now just to be safe, let's not meet up here again. The station could be swarmed by the time we would want to get back. Remember not to leave your partner at all costs and if it ain't possible to save the other..." Hank made a pause that sent the alerted mood going dim.

The old man also didn't like the idea of leaving a friend but it was their only chance of surviving if the other one was officially infected. Hank then nods at the group, starting to leave the station by two and starter at different parts of the streets.

Before the Andersons were the last ones to leave the station, Connor hears his desk phone softly ring in the night. He slowly walks back to his desk and puts the object near his ear, then calling out to the person on the other side of the line. Sadly, no one answers and there was only the sound of what he assumes was what the infected make.

Also muffled shouting-

But then Connor hears a gunshot from the other side of the line, sending him back away from the phone. Hank notices this and came walking back to his side, worried about what his son had heard.

"What the hell happened?" Asked Hank in a worried tone of voice.

Connor looked at his father with a worried and scared expression then both heard a soft pop up sound coming from his terminal. Both Andersons looked over the screen and it would seem the call had been traced to a certain part of town.

Young Anderson then assumes that the call was to ask for help so he had asked his father to lay out a plan for them both. A plan that would safely lead them to the subdivision of old houses not too far from the outside of Detroit.

"Are you fucking kidding? We just got out of this hell hole and now you want to enter another?" Hank shouted, though still minding the volume of his voice.

"Dad, please. Someone might be out there and we might get the chance to save them..!"

"But what if..." Hank hesitated to continue talking while Connor gave him his annoying and effective puppy eyes. He would usually do this if he wanted something so badly. But now they felt unusual. As if he was truly begging.

Hank sighs in defeat yet again "Fine. If no one's alive in that part of the city, we go, is that fair?"

Hank knows he wasn't mistaking the gleam in his son's eyes when he had approved his rescue request. After that Connor types away on his laptop, looking more into the street they'll be heading towards. After a few observations and studying, they walk out into the rain and got into the old car.

* * *

4205 Harrison Street, North Corktown, Detroit. It wasn't that far from the station as they took the old car, thanking God that it still works to this day. But if they were to walk under the rain, they would probably be held up by the infected or something still unknown to their awareness. This was the first night after all.

They stopped the engines before the left turn into the exact spot of the house. The streets were surprisingly quiet, though the houses looked very ominous and depressing under the dim street lights. They slowly approached the neighboring house of the caller, avoiding the street lamps that would occasionally flicker from lack of energy.

"I have a bad feeling about this, son. Are you sure someone might still be alive here?" Hanked chimed in as they stopped on the porch of the house.

Connor observed the house's dreadful exterior, not noticing that he had ignored his father's question. The wood was almost on its last days, the grass was not treated with care, and blood was splattered from the front door to the stone path of the porch. He knelt on the grass and felt the blood on his fingers, observing if they were recent or very old.

"Still think anyone's inside?"

Connor stood up "Maybe. Or that someone might have had a hard time escaping..."

Hank relaxes his grip on the shotgun "Well what the hell are we still doing here then???" The old man said, almost shouting, not having a single consideration about where they were and what would happen.

"We need to look up what happened behind all this. We might be able to meet that person somewhere along the road and-"

"Listen, Connor," Hank suddenly cuts him off mid-sentence and let out an exhausted sigh.

"This isn't just your normal day to day investigation, we're talking about a fucking power plant that got people fucked up here. All we have to do now is not get ourselves killed and just look for real and alive people who aren't infected."

There was a long silence between two men, basking under the soft rain of Harrison Street. Connor shifted his gaze from the old house, the blood on his hands, then to his father. And as if he had just opened his eyes to the world they had to survive on, young Anderson felt sudden guilt built up inside of him.

"I... I'm sorry." He said in almost like a whisper "I just wished I got here sooner, you know?" Hank then finally unwinds after hearing the true reason behind this reckless act of being a hero.

"It's okay, son. But you gotta remember that we can't save everyone, not while the world's like this."

"Yeah... Thanks for that..."

Hank nods at this and looks around the neighborhood, Connor could only assume he was looking if anyone was hiding inside the houses or looking for those God awful creatures.

The old man sighs "Anyway since we're still here, why don't we go inside and get some useful things..."

"Isn't that kinda..." Connor then points at the still-wet blood that paints the grass.

Hank's eyes shift from the blood then to his son "I'll be the judge of that." The lieutenant passes by Connor and walks towards the house, shotgun held by his back, and was replaced by his handgun. Connor follows suit.

The man put his hand on the bloody door. As he pushes it softly, the wooden door creeks and it slowly opens. Both Andersons shared a look and Hank finally opens it fully, only to be greeted by a man's corpse lying face down to the ground.

"My God..." Hank remarks and slowly enters the house. Connor sees the corpse though he had held himself and remained quiet.

"What now..?" Connor asks as he paced towards the fallen dining table. Noticing the sudden silent reply from the man, he turns to look at him, still looking at the dead man on the floor. "Dad..?"

"... We search the house, see if we can find something that'll help us last longer..." The man sounded out of the usual annoyed tone. He sounded like he wanted to remember something or who that man was.

"Sure thing..." After that Connor finally had the freedom to roam around the living room and kitchen.

He started with the dining area, continuing to walk slowly towards the fallen furniture. When he had taken another step, he heard glass softly breaking under his feet. Connor looks down to examine and but then realizes that those same colored glass shards were scattered all over from the dining area to the kitchen. He was alarmed and soon realized what had happened hours before they even got there. Connor dashes back to his father who stood by the drawer near the front door.

"Dad, I think I know what had happened here..." Connor awaits for Hank's question but nothing came by. It lead him to look at what he was looking at and was once again surprised.

There were debt papers, rejected job applications, and a few more of the same aspect. He looks back at Hank in question, still while he walked back to the rotting corpse, his back facing him.

"Yeah, it's alright to take shit from this guy..."

Connor's brows furrowed "Why is that..?"

Hank then turns, with his relieved and calm smile "Son, I would like you to meet Todd Williams, the guy we assumed to have gotten a life away from Red Ice."

Young Anderson was stunned. The man that they had chased and assumed was fine after seeing him with a family was finally found, yet late. Connor had heard stories from the policemen while he visits the station. They had committed unspeakable crimes until he was seen to have finally found a family of his own; a wife and a daughter. Had been keeping tabs on his actions, though, after a while, DPD had no chance but to leave his private life alone, not knowing that he had got back to his awful deeds again. And seeing him right now, dead inside his rusty home, Connor was sure he had not a single pity for the man.

Hank's chuckle hen sends Connor out of his thoughts "Told ya it'd be alright to steal some shit in this house."

"Yeah but..." He looked around and continued to roam around the ground floor to examine the house "but what about his child?"

The lieutenant leans by the wooden wall and crossed his arms "They're either dead or alive somewhere, we'll meet them someday, I guess. And I meant it for both of the definitions of the phrase."

Connor gave his old man a funny look then soon went back to going around the ground floor, still observing. He hears Hank also move from his spot and headed towards the stairs but as soon as he had, the corpse of Todd Williams rose from the ground, making low growls as he did so.

Todd Williams turns to look at Connor, still unmoving. But Hank did not wait for the creature to move and quickly reloads his pistol and shoots it from behind, on the back of its head. Blood splatters at his hands, a little bit to his face and shirt though he didn't mind.

"Have you noticed that..?" Connor spoke in almost a whisper, still out of shock.

"What is there to notice? He turned into those things too, so?" Hank argued back, almost in disbelief when Connor said such a calm and an out of context statement.

"The virus... it's airborne. We have to be careful and not get injured or it'll spread and cause us a slow and painful death."

Hank watches him look for useful things that would help them along the way to somewhere safe. the old man then ventures up the steps and went straight for Todd's room. It smelt of Red Ice and whisky and something more he didn't really want to know. Though he had noticed that the room was moderately clean but the nightstand drawer was left open.

He disregards the thought and continues to look around his room. There were more papers on top of his drawer. Hank inspects them all we're adoption papers, and adoption paper to be filled before claiming the child as their own. He looks at the picture of the little girl with light brown hair held up in a neat bun.

Kara, that was her name, given by some asshole that left her by the abandoned car in the Ravendale district. She was taken in at the age of 9 and that was it, her life started and might have ended tonight. Or so that's what he got from the papers. Hank never liked it when children were mistreated in any way, especially if one of their parents was an addict and the other must have just left them there to suffer and saved themselves.

"What a fucking world we live in..." Hank whispers to himself and decided to not take a single thing from William's house, disgusted by the fact that he was what he was.

Hank did not bother going through all the rooms upstairs and soon went outside the said room. Once outside he felt a presence in one of the rooms in the hallway. Hank knew when he came up those stairs, the room's door located on the right side of the hallway was not open when he had been there. So he slowly walks up to the said room, gun in hand, locked and loaded.

He took a peek, assuming what's inside was the girl's dead body but soon realized he was thankfully wrong. He was greeted by Connor, looking down while his back was facing Hank. The old lieutenant loosens his grip on his gun and sighs in relief.

"How the hell did you get up here without making any noise, huh?" He asked though Connor remains quiet.

Hank then leans over by his shoulder, slightly walking forward "What's that?" Soon after what he had said, only at that moment, Connor hears him and quickly hid whatever he was holding.

He shakes his head "N-No... It's nothing."

"You sure? I mean, you seem pretty... Red."

Connor's eyes widen then touched his cheeks. Hank observes him, brows furrowed.

"It's just cold, we did stand under the rain before we got here inside..."

"But, the house is fuckin' warm..."

Hank loved the times where he'd tease Connor about something, something like revealing the truth behind something he tries desperately to hide like this. Hank could only assume that he had found a recent picture of some sort of Todd William's adopted child.

Hank chuckles to the thought "You know what? Let's just get the fuck out of here, the gunshot must have reached out for miles."

"Yeah, you're right..."

Both Anderson then went down the stairs, moved Todd's corpse by the backyard, and left it there. They soon reached their old car and continued back at their own house, gathering everything that would be useful for the long life they'll live un, and possibly die at some point.

_To be continued..._


	3. Fugutives

The night grew slow and the rain kept pouring. With no home to go to, to hide inside and to rest, Kara had no choice but to stop the car for the night and look for a small home. She began to notice how the road looked familiar, thinking that she'd been here before and as soon as she got to a certain spot of the district, she knew where she had traveled to.

"Ravendale district..." She whispers to herself as she quietly drove in the small motel and parked her adoptive father's car in the empty space in between two more different vehicles.

Kara got out the vehicle with her belongings and closes it shut. She did not mind the rain and soon made her way to the reception area. She held the door by it's handle and attempts to pushes it open. Sadly it did not open.

She tries again, adding more force but soon stopped and launched backwards, falling down to the ground as soon as the same creatures launched itself on the door, hungry and growling at her. It's mouth was bloody, also was its hands and eyes that were pure white.

Kara quickly stands only to feel someone behind her. The person then grabs her and closes her mouth. The woman struggles to move away from their grip, shouting for the person to let her go. She stops when she hears the man speak.

"Hey, hey, shhh..." He called and Kara finally eases and did as he said.

The man soon lets go of her slowly. Kara hesitantly turns to look at the man and saw a simple red heard with a smile on his face, wearing thick clothing and had a dirty face.

"Hello there, thank you for keeping quiet." He said with a genuine smile that left Kara confused.

"Who..."

"Oh that's right," the read head then wipes his hand on his jacket and extended's it " the name's Jerry, and you are?"

Kara looks at his hand and hesitated when she accepts it "I'm Kara..."

They both shook hands and remains quiet. Kara watched the man move, still smiling but then soon remembered what he had to do.

"Anyway, let's get you a nice little home. Follow me." He said and started to walk away from the motel.

"W-Wait!" Kara called out and the man turns to look.

"Are there others...?"

Jerry looks at her for a while and then smiles and nods his head to a certain direction, indicating her the way to what she presumes where the other survivors reside.

They ventured towards the bus stop Kara used to sit in while she waited for her parents to find her. Old memories would simply just put her almost into tears, but she had to live on and forget. Jerry then opens the chain-linked fence door and held it open. He invites her first and follows from behind.

Kara then spots the abandoned car she used to sleep in, and no matter how cold it was inside, she had to endure and survive. When she was just a child, this very space felt so big but now grown, she felt suffocated and caged from the world. Her attention was then shifted to Jerry holding up the bottom of the fence she did not think there was more at that side. Once again he holds it for her to enter and she does the same when he follows from behind. He thanks her and they continue inside.

"So, how many did you manage to save?" Kara brings up a question in there quiet adventure inside an abandoned house.

"Just a few in this house, one of us ventured out looking for help. While others had to sacrifice that guy in the motel to get the keys to their rooms."

Kara stops walking beside him "You told them what to do?"

Jerry looks back at her and stops walking "Yeah, but not at the part where they had to sacrifice the guy though. I told them they could also spare him a room inside but they said he wouldn't believe their story and wasn't very kind to homeless people..."

"So they had to..."

"Sadly, yeah."

Kara then notices how Jerry's hopeful manner had turned into something unhappy. Both then bathed under the rain in silence. Kara couldn't get the thought of people beginning to be something their not, out of her head. The world may have turned into hell, but she wasn't expecting this to make people turn into the demons that would live inside it. She knows not all of them are like this, but Kara still fears the worst.

She was then out of her trance when Jerry finally began to move in front of the house and spoke.

"C'mon, I think you'll be more comfortable here then in the motel don't you think?" Jerry joked, making Kara shine a small smile, easing her worries.

The redhead then opens the door and to her surprise, there was a few people inside. She spotted two girls seated close to each other; one with her hair that was tide in a loose tail, colored in blue, while the other was in pixie, though colored in a more darker red than Jerry's.

Then another woman with light blonde hair that was seated near a man with the same tint of hair, though he was fidgety and somewhat scared of something. Then Kara notices a tall and buff African American man, tending to the fire while behind him were two more with the same figure as Jerry.

"Everyone, we have a new person that'll be staying with us..." Jerry announces and everyone looked their way.

Their expressions were what she assumed would either be angry, annoyed, or scared. They were surprisingly relieved to see Kara, hope shining in their eyes, and all were teen just like her. This made Kara feel that there was still an ounce of humanity in this world.

The man by the fire place stood "Welcome, so it was your car that drove pass?"

Kara nods "Yes, it was me. My initial move was to get away from the house I live in until..."

"We understand. We also had lives ahead of us until the world decided to turn out this way..."

"All because of a worker who fucked his job and blew up the power plant." The female redhead angrily remarked.

"Ripple, please calm down..." The blue hair woman pleaded. Both women seems to have a strong relationship in between them that Kara has yet to know.

"Yes. Anyway, this here is Kara, she'll be staying for as long as she wants." Jerry told everyone.

All responded with a greeting like how everyone would. Jerry then leads Kara inside the circle of the people he saved and everyone fixed their poritions by the fireplace. Kara could now see their faces, a little dim, still she could see them. Jerry then asks for everyone to start introducing themselves.

"As you've heard, the name's Ripple, and this is my girlfriend Echo. We've been together before the world turned to shit." She said with a smirk. The woman, Echo giggles and smiles at Kara. She smiles back.

"I'm Chloe, I'm a working student before." Kara says her response and looks over to the man beside her that still had his head looking down to the floor.

"Hey, she's waiting..." Chloe sofly calls to the man and he looks up to Kara.

Kara's eyes go wide as she sees the wounds in his face. The fear on her face was visible enough that Jerry could see it and suddenly held her still, stating that it'd be alright. Kara attempts to remain calm and wants for the man to talk.

"Name's Ralph..." He paused, still fidgeting as he held his hands together "Ralph is sorry if he made Kara afraid because of how he looks. Ralph had been beaten up by the people that lived in the motel because he was protecting miss Chloe..."

"And I'm entirely thankful..." Chloe smiles and puts her hands on his shoulders, soothing him.

Kara then smiles sadly "I'm sorry for being afraid of you..."

Ralph looked as if he wasn't expected an apology from her "Ralph forgives Kara..." Kara then nods, looking at the next person in the circle.

"I'm Luther, I'm also a working student. Having to be working as a construction worker before this happened. Though as far as I could say, I'm good at cooking." The big man joked and everyone, including Kara softly laughs.

As soon as the laugh died down, two man that looked exactly like Jerry comes up in front of her. They soon dragged Jerry with them. Everyone smiled, already aware of what will happen next and Kara was left to watch this unusual introduction.

One of them counts down from three to one, their backs facing Kara and jumps as they turn to face her, with happy lively faces.

"I'm Jeffrey!"

"I'm Jason!"

"I'm Jerry!"

"And we're... TRIPLETS!!!" The there of them said in unison, a little quiet as they were still a ware of what was outside those walls.

The circle of people tries to laughs softly, also Kara.

"I never knew it would be that fancy." Kara joked.

Ripple chuckles "We've heard this so many times, we still never got used to it."

Kara smiles at the three brothers, loving the sight of three happy brothers amidst all the has happened to this country. Luther then brings up the soup he had cooked, passing each bowls to everyone in the circle. He said his prayers and they all started to feast. Suddenly, like a flash of lightning out on the rain, Kara's curiosity peaks.

"Hey Ripple, what you said about the worker who worked in a powerplant..." Kara calls out to her and before making a response, she swallows her food.

A surprised look then shines on her face.

"You mean, you haven't watched the news?"

Kara shakes her head no and everyone started to share a look. Ripple then looks at Jerry for guidance, and he greatfully helps.

"They said that some of Detroits nuclear powerplants had been bombed or destroyed, I'm not sure which. But anyway, they also said that what ever was inside had spread through the country and possibly around the globe. Though the strongest was here in Detroit..."

Luther then chimes in "And two nights before, they've had reports of bodies just lying around highways and people having this sicknes. They had adviced us to leave the city while we still can."

"Is there a way out of Detroit?" Kara quickly asks after hearing what Luther had said in the end.

"... Yeah, they said that Canada's beginning to look for a vaccine and giving out tests. They started at the same time as of the body reports." Chloe responded.

Kara looks down to her bowl of soup "So you mean..."

Echo puts a hand on her shoulder "We need to wait it out. Nothing good will come to us if we hurried this. We also want to leave Detroit but we still don't want to risk our friends along the way."

Kara's gaze shifts to Echo then to everyone in their little circle. The woman took a sharp breath, realizing that she'd shed a tear in front of new people. She wipes it away with her hands and nods. Everyone smiles sadly as she did and took a few second of silence before Jerrybhad spoken once again.

"Alright everyone eat up, it's almost time to rest the night, and tomorrow, we'll look for more supplies."

Everyone agrees and started to finish their food before they went to different parts of the house to check if all openings were blocked and safe. All of them started to fix their sleeping bags by the fireplace and Kara ventures up to the second floor.

She was greeted by a bathroom, two more rooms and a bathroom. She enters the room with the biggest window and looks out to the silent streets of Ravendale.

"Quiet isn't it?" Jerry chimed in and walks beside Kara. She looks at bum then back to the window.

They stood silently still until she hears him move. Kara looks at him again, holding up something and offering it to her.

"Here, a sleeping bag. In case if you don't want to sleep on a dirty mattress..."

Kara smiles and took the bag with a small thanks. The man was so lively and would always joke in attempts to calm her. She was happy to think that he had done the same with the others before her but sadly failed to convince the people that reside in the motel to not do terrible things.

"We'll be downstairs if you need us... Goodnight, Kara."

"Good night, Jerry."

Kara then washed as Jerry descends the stairs as every slow steps he makes creek into the night. She had also noticed how he might have had read her mind in wanting to sleep away from them at first for she doesn't known them like they do with each other.

Kind men like those were not always that close to Kara. From her experience of having to be around Todd's "friends" while she was little had maid her not so fund of them. Even though she does have more male friends, she still fears the worst.

Casting all negative thought in mind, Kara begins to set her sleeping bag on top of the mattress and hops inside of it. Kara did not notice how tired she was through out her night and it didn't take her long to drift fully into slumber, the world turning into a blur and fades into black.

Though through all that she had been through, a small speck of hope still lingers in her heart, telling her that everything will return to normal. Even if it just felt like it.

_To be continued..._


	4. On the Run

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> crossed paths qwq

The world at first looked blurred and soon the sun entered her vision, making it nearly difficult to open her eyes for another morning in reality. Kara slowly gets out of her sleeping bag with a grunt, for her body was yet to be awake at first light. Though she had to stand and walk out to the world around her.

It has been eight years, eight years of staying with Jerry's company, and being accepted as part of their family. She is eternally grateful to grow up into an adult with them and for their act of generosity, hospitality, and kindness, swearing that this will never be forgotten. Also that they have made her feel the world wasn't all filled with horrible humans.

The world however was beautiful, bathing under the greenery of the earth. Such sight during Kara's scouting to find both food and possible survivors had almost made the woman shed a tear. Flowers would bloom, vines would grow, and moss had mostly taken over though Kara could only admire from afar. Touching them might also infect her and she needed to be careful.

Kara then proceeds to ascend down the stairs to meet up with the group and for Luther's delicious prepared breakfast. The woman was greeted with the same smiles from only Luther in today's morning, smiles that would endlessly surprise her.

"Good morning, Kara." Luther greets first and flashed her his usual collected smile. "Hungry?"

Kara chuckled "Is that your intention? To cook in first light and wake me up?" She joked, happy to get a laugh out of the big man of the group.

"Kara! How was Kara's sleep?" Ralph cheerfully greets her as he exits a room that leads to the old washroom and kitchen.

She let out a laugh "I slept fine thank you..."

After their small shared greetings, they proceed to eat on the old dining table, talking and laughing up a storm whenever someone makes a joke. And as always after every meal, Luther would take the initiative to ways their dishes before he makes trades with the people in the motel that resides in the Ravendale district.

Kara tries to help, hoping to do something more calming before she scouts the area but Luther would never let her.

And by the passing days, Ralph had changed. Instead of walking outside with Chloe before she leaves, he had been staying inside the abandoned house, stating that it would be best if he only waited for everyone to return safely and would mostly reside inside the washroom.

Though there was one thing she wasn't sure about, and it scares her. Kaa isn't sure if it was just her imagination or Ralph has been heating up, coughing in-between moments. Everyone would notice and soon disregards the thought and would only think of it as simple as a fever.

Only she never thought the same.

The man started to wear clothing that would almost cover his skin and she also noticed how he suffered under the immense heat his garments would bestow upon his now fragile body.

And before Ralph would fully hide inside another room, Kara had reached out for his hand but he yanks it away roughly. And as soon as he had realized what he had done to his cover, he mumbled his apology and Kara accepted it, though he wasn't going to get away with such a simple accident.

"Hey Ralph, I've been meaning to ask you these last few days..." She started and carefully watched his reactions.

"Who... What is it..?"

He was still the fidgety, afraid, and a boy that deems to be inside a man's body that would pertain to himself in third person. Though as sad as it was to think such a dreadful thing, she needed to ask.

"Are you sick..?"

And just by one question, Ralph had turned into a different person. He had stopped to fidget and his body was now at ease like everyone else. He looked at her with no emotion what so ever and stood straight. This was very new and frightening to Kara. Even though the wounds on his face were nearly gone, she still wasn't used to a serious Ralph.

Ralph then began to walk away from Kara but she still needed her answer. So she calls out to the man and when she didn't get a reply, she forced him to turn around only to be shouted no which alarmed Luther when he was nearly done with his washing.

Ralph did not do anything more than just say his apologies, leave and lock himself inside the old washroom. Kara looks over Luther, either for an explanation or to be told if she had done wrong or right. And as if Luther had understood what her look was conveying, he puts down the clean dish and puts a hand on her shoulder.

"It's not your fault. He must have been feeling guilty because he couldn't do anything to help with the scoating."

"...Are you sure it's just that..?"

Luther looks at Kara and flashed her his common smile "I would want to hope it is only that."

Kara was about to speak until she had held herself, avoiding more trouble and nods and pats the hand on her shoulder. Luther was well convinced about her response and now escorts themselves out of the house and to their posts, wearing their masks, hearing that the virus had become airborne.

Luther went over to his spot with Jason while Kara went to her's, Chloe being her companion for the day. Once again, she was greeted by a beautiful smile from the woman. Chloe would avoid such compliments from Kara but she had observed the woman nonetheless still likes it.

Chloe greets her and Kara greets back. After a few exchanged silence with each other, often because out of focus to any intruders that might come by the district and the other reason was there wasn't much to talk about. They would often talk about what they'll do after this mess, Chloe would always mention having a girls night out and Kara couldn't agree more. Though this time she felt different.

"I wish I was as brave as you..." Chloe spoke without meeting her eyes, her words had alarmed Kara.

It was very out of the ordinary for the woman to be giving compliments with such a sad tone. She would usually praise one of them with a cheerful smile, but this time as she held her shotgun by the fence, she had changed over the years.

"What... What do you mean?"

Chloe sighs "All that you've been through with your abusive father and all this virus stuff. But you still stand till this day it's just..."

Chloe pauses and Kara waits for her to continue, observing her every expression that would shift from grief, anger, and joy.

"I'm envious of you..."

Kara's eyes widen. Envy was a bad thing in this world today. It could take up a human's heart as fast as the virus would spread inside the body, making them make awful decisions that could affect them or the people around them. Kara hated envy, and she can't help but feel her eyes water from what her sister figure has said to her.

Though before she could speak up, Jerry had called out to Kara, joy in his voice as he made his way toward her post with a few people behind him. The woman was so relieved to have a reason to leave Chloe's side and escape from her negative thoughts. She stood up and jogged to Jerry asking him why he had called.

The redhead had smiled "I had word from outside! Still remember my friend that went to look for help?"

Kara nods while Jerry rejoiced with everyone else behind him happy about the news he had told them that Kara has yet to know.

"He texted an address to me, stating that he found a man that gets people to the Canadian border. The man also told him that Canada was ready with the vaccine!"

Kara could cry after hearing his news. Jerry and the others smiles at her and held a group hug with Jara being in the middle, though Chloe was left to watch. They end the hug while Kara was visibly sobbing with tears of joy. She wipes them away though the tears kept falling.

"You can start a new Kara!" Jason, one of Jerry's brothers had stated.

"Thank you... Seriously I..."

Kara couldn't speak from all the happiness she was having in her heart. But they understood why. She was going to leave this place, the place where she had been mistreated by her adoptive father in cold blood every day. Where she was left behind by the woman that gave birth to her. Though she will miss their faces, the love they gave her, and many more. They were the ones who had been a true family to her.

"Though, are you sure it's safe..?" Echo chimed in, her worried tone had set the mood in neutral.

"What... What do you mean?" Asked Jerry.

The blue hair woman then shows them the coordinates of the place where Kara was said to venture off to.

"I know where this leads to and is on the other side of town..."

"Now that I think about it, Echo's right," Ripple spoke and then shifts her gaze to Kara. "Are you sure about this? Aren't you a little scared of what's out there?"

Kara was then back in thought. The world was not what it was before, now that the virus had spread across almost all countries near Detroit. Was this man trusted? Is their friend still out there? She didn't know, she wasn't sure. She couldn't speak.

"Don't worry,"

Chloe finally spoke from behind Kara and she never turns to look out of fear about what expression she would see on the woman's face.

"She's Kara. She can handle it, and with hope still in her heart, she will survive!"

The cheerful tone was back though it sounded different, it sounded fake and forced. And Kara despised it. Who of all people was she like this? Kara then felt Jerry's hand on her shoulder.

"I believe so too, don't you think?" The redhead smiles genuinely at her.

The poor man still doesn't hear Chloe's tone and would only listen to her words, blinded by the smile she shined upon every one that would look. Kara almost felt that Chloe wanted her gone, far away from them all. And she would if only she was as brave as she had said she was. Kara wasn't, the small woman was too scared for the future outside the abandoned house.

* * *

"This is bullshit, I can't believe we're back here again, where there are more places out to be searched..." Hank argued as he drove into the streets of Detroit.

Connor looks up from the newspaper and looked at his dad with a stunned look though he grins at his frustration.

"Dad, calm down, like Markus said, there might still be people out here, for example, in the Ravedale district." Connor smiles after his statement.

Markus Manfred had saved a great number of people before they were also found by him. And he wasn't just the leader to stay behind and talk, he would be one or help out search parties in looking for more survivors. And over the past couple of years, to pay off for his good deed, Connor and Hank had decided to work under him, helping him to look for more people to protect until things calm down.

And now here they were, driving back into the Ravendale district, the same road they had driven pass by eight years ago after looking into the house of Todd Williams. Connor doesn't want to admit it to anyone who would ask or to himself, but he still feels the woman, Kara Williams, was out there. Possibly alone and in harm's way.

And that was one of the reasons why he had volunteered to be one of the search parties. It was to be able to have a reason to look for her. But it was also very unexpected for his father to have joined, saying that it was to keep a close eye on him so he would stop him before he does something reckless. Though he was still happy that he was here.

Hank stops by the almost emptied convenience store and both Andersons got out of the car. Once out, Hank lazily leans by his car and crossed his arms while Connor observes the district.

Hank chuckles at his actions "Lighten up, son. You move like a fucking android." He joked.

"Sorry, the detective work is still here inside I guess..." Connor replied with his toothy grin.

"No shit..."

The old man also looks around the area, doubt visible in his expression that every person could fully read it and might also fear it while Connor would only laugh at this.

"I still think this is bullshit."

"Let's just look for the spotted survivors and then we can leave."

Though before they could even walk, a noise, muffled but loud enough for Connor to hear was heard from the abandoned house. His brows furrowed as he observed the building that he had just noticed is filled with protection and soon walked towards it. Hank, still not trusting his ways, soon follows from behind him, curious about what his son had heard.

"What is it now?"

"I just heard something from there..."

"And that is..?"

And as soon as Hank had asked his question, Connor was sure the sound that came up next was also heard by Hank as he had shown the same shocked face as he did.

* * *

"It's sad that you'd travel on foot. If only your car wasn't destroyed by those bandits..."

Echo spoke while she held one of the jackets that would help Kara along the way while she gathered all her belongings in an average-sized bag for the long journey.

Kara softly chuckles "Dont worry, as long as I stay off places where most of the infected reside, I'll be fine."

Echo then gives Kara the very last of her significant item and finally zips her bag close. Kara then wears the male sized coat that hanged inside the old cabinet and grabbed her gun by the drawer, tucking it inside her coat. Kara then asks for Echo's opinion about her clothing but soon found her hesitantly walking towards the window. Kara gets curious and soon follows behind her, her marginally hanged by her shoulder.

"Everything ok?" Kara asks.

Echo did not look at Kara when she had responded to her question. Fear visibly seen in her eyes as she looked outside. Echo then began to point.

"Who are those..?"

Kara felt confused and finally looked over to the direction her friend had pointed to and saw two men; one with grey hair and one who had almost messy brown hair; getting out of their shared vehicle, parked in front of the convenience store, chatting away admits everything that is happening in the world.

Both men looked like old friends, but the more Kara observes their movements, the old man's smirk, and the young one's smile, they seem to be more than friends.

Though this was irrelevant to their current situation right now. They were still intruders and maybe their chattering was all just an act and they've already known about their whereabouts. Kara's collected manner then changes into fear fast and she quietly helped Echo and herself down the stairs.

"Jerry-" Kara calls out but then was greeted by a horrifying scene.

Luther held Ralph into place and tries to keep him quiet while Jeffrey held something in his hands, a kitchen knife. Their day just went from bad to worse.

Kara then remembers the men that we're casually talking to by the store, observing their surroundings while they chat. Though it seems to look normal, it still might be a trap. Her gaze shifts to Ripple.

"Ripple, there's someone outside..." She called out to her friend in almost a whisper, loud enough for half of them to hear.

"We heard, and it was a good thing we held Ralph at the same time thee engine of their car stopped."

Echo then walks to the other side of Ripple "What happened?"

"R-Ralph came of the w-washroom and started to attack Chloe with a k-knife since she was the closest to the door..." Jason spoke from behind Jerry.

And before Jerry could speak, Ralph's hand removed the garment keeping his mouth shut and shouted something inaudible. In a hurry, Luther puts it back but it was too late.

> "Anybody home?"

Connor shouts after he had entered the abandoned house through a passageway from the chain-linked fence door at the other end of the street that seemingly leads to the building. Hank walked up behind him, still in doubt if anyone was inside the house. The old lieutenant sighs and it had caught Connor's attention.

"What's with that face dad?" Connor points at his face, smirking at how his father wasn't having the best day of his life.

"Don't care, I just don't feel like this is a good idea or something might happen..."

Connor's grin had faded by the possibility Hank had mentioned. All in all, he didn't really know if the people inside would be willing to join Jericho.

Connor sighs, "Let's just hope it doesn't..." He gave his father a sad smile that was given back not long after.

Though suddenly, the door clicks and slowly opens to reveal the person that had opened the door and several people inside the house. Connor and Hank shared the same shocked looks while the others looked at them with both anger and fear.

"M-May we help you? Also, I would advise if both of you don't just simply drive-by and walk outside as if it was a park."

A man with red hair had said with a smile on his face that had Connor confused though soon noticed it was forced while fear was near behind the masked smile.

"Thank you for the suggestion, but, if you all don't mind we would like to go inside and meet everyone..?"

Connor softly asks and the man nods, stepping aside for them to enter. The Andersons have now seen their faces clearly, unaware of who they are nevertheless they won't be able to forget these faces. Connor's eyes shift to everyone from their body language to their facial expressions.

"Is this everyone?" Connor asks the man, accidentally with the tone he uses to the victims in murder cases that all he got from his was an aggressive nod.

* * *

The people she had seen outside were now inside the building, their voices almost muffled for Kara had joined Ralph inside the old washroom of the house. The woman held her mouth to refrain from any noises to come out while she tries and listen to their conversation.

Though her attention was soon disturbed by the low growling sounds that came from Ralph that had hunched by the corner of the room, making him awfully small. Once Kara had seen him, all her intentions had been thrown at the back of her mind, and walked towards the sick man.

"Ralph... Is something wrong..?"

Kara asks and reaches out for his shoulder. Though, before she had gotten to touch him, he slowly turns and whispers something inaudible. She asks what it was two times until she had seen what was causing his sudden change these past years.

There it was, the bite imprinted on his shoulder.

And then he has finally spoken his words louder and he had finally stood up while Kara was still kneeling to him.

What her friend had said sent chills to her whole body while her eyes go wide in the horror of what she was seeing before her.

"Ralph is very... Very sorry..."

"Ralph, what are you-"

Ralph didn't give Kara a chance to finish and suddenly had launched himself on top of her, growling and shouting words Kara did not fully understand.

Kara still had been holding herself, not to shout or make noises while she freed herself under Ralph, though now that he was making all the noise, the intruders might have heard them by now judging by how it had gone quiet outside the room and the shuffling of feet.

Ralph then yanks her hands with force and continued to push her down, but then he got a hold of her neck, adding more pressure as he squeezes it and opens his mouth to end her here and there. Though Kara held onto hope and finally had trusted herself as she rose both feet and kicked him back to the wall.

Ralph had then hit his head on the and coughed out somewhat black colored blood, the same pigment as every other infected, also seen dripping from his eyes like tears. And so it was. Ralph is now sobbing for a split second and then chargers towards her, letting out a disturbing cry. Kara acts fast and got up to her full height and went straight for the door to the living room only to have realized it was a bad idea.

Kara turns around to watch over and make sure Ralph had stopped but her infected friend instead had pushed her out and once again on top of her as Kara fell on her back. She cries out to Ralph, hoping he could hear her, hoping there was still a chance. He was mumbling something under his breath again however the frightened woman struggles under the creature until...

"I... I'M SORRY--"

**_B A N G_ **

Kara's ears rang and noticed her eyes had closed out of instinct. Though as she opens them, Ralph's body was surprisingly was now relaxed while it lies on top of her. Kara then tries to roll away from him at the same time calling out to him. She let out a grunt and as soon as she turns his body to lie down on his back, her eyes first caught on the side of his head, where a bullet had pas through.

And The world had been back to a blur, the same feeling when she had shot her adoptive father came running back in her head. The hope of being away from that distant memory and the scenes on that horrible night was, it never was gone she's just forgotten, forgetting what was in the past to free herself and her mind. Kara finally looks in the direction of the sound and sees the man she had seen outside, holding his pistol, still pointing his weapon at Ralph's corpse.

His reaction was shocked, though it didn't look like he was shocked by her infected friend, but shocked to see Kara.

Both individuals lock eyes while the world felt as if it had stopped and there was this feeling, lingering inside their chest. Connor felt a sudden relief to see the woman he had failed to help save from the hell the world had unleashed. He slowly lowers his weapon however one of the people inside the house had held him back.

"KARA RUN!"

The man shouts and the woman, Kara, runs back inside the room she had come from and Connor hears a door open. Suddenly, out of reflex, he ran after her.

"W-Wait..!" He shouts and ran out to chase her.

She keeps running in the direction of the old train station and while she ran, her thoughts had been brought back to the shot the man behind her had done.

'The gunshot... that may have reached for miles on end...'

She thought to herself and soon saw an infected walk out of one of the alleyways of Ravendale. It cries out and Kara had almost stopped from running, unable to believe how much was behind the crying infected. Kara's pace began to slow down and she looks back at the man who simply wore a white polo, its sleeves rolled until his elbows. Though this wasn't the time to admire how he dressed in a simple nearly un touched clothing.

Connor's eyes shift from the swarm of infected to Kara. She gave him a painful glare and got back to running away from him and now from the swarm. He still followed her while he felt the regret grow.

And now, Kara finally reaches the alleyway that was the fastest route to the train that Jerry, her, and everyone else use to go places outside Ravendale.

She hurriedly reaches for the fence and lifts herself, climbing to the other side of the chain-linked fence. When she had finally reached the ground, it was at the same time the man had reached the fence, from the speed he had used while he ran, it had caused him to slam his body into the chains.

Once again, they lock eyes.

It might be absurd, Connor though, still he felt that he might be seen oceans of her emotions about what she felt with all that happened in her home, to the world, and possibly to what he had done. However, she looked at him with somewhat... admiration.

There was no fear nor anger in her eyes, he had noticed it now. And it felt as if he was being pulled into the oceans her eyes would show. And he wouldn't, waking up in the morning and while she was the first thing he sees, smiling down at him as angels would from God's heavens. Though he wished he had also met her in a more peaceful life time, where the world is kind and the sun and moon would shine bright. Though it wasn't like that for the both of them.

He wished he had met her before all this, before this lifetime and get to know her more, protect her with all his might. Protect. Yes that's what he'll do, that's the only thing he could do for her. Until Canada was sure about the cure.

A growl then interrupts the moment and Connor turns to look though the infected has already pinned him by the fence. The detective struggles to escape until the creature was shot at the side of its head. He turns to look behind him and sees Kara has held her pistol, aiming at the previous infected. Then they soon realized that the shot has sent a message to all infected that lurked the district. Connor then reaches for his shot gut and reloads it.

He then turns to look at Kara "Go now!" he orders her and she was left surprised by the sudden change of character to the man.

"Wh... what about you..?"

"I'll lead them away! You go on ahead!"

He desperately tells her and finally she turns to the slope of mud, preparing to slide down and cross the broken highway.

Though, a sudden urge to tell her something before she was gone once again took the better of him.

"Hey..!"

Kara hears him and turns to look back. And what made it more shocking was that the man had flashed a smile to her, hoping to somehow ease her. And that appears to have happened.

"Let's meet again... okay?"

He tells her and all Kara could do was nod at his words and proceeded to slide down. She jumps out to the highway and runs towards the other side, gun in hand. Once she was there, she looked behind her and she wasn't expecting to feel a bit worried or sad that he wasn't at the other side of the chain-linked fence. Though her eyes searched while her ears would listen for any signs of him, gunshots or possibly a scream.

But now was not the time, she had to leave, to find a better place and start a new life. But deep inside her she felt that even though as the world was like this, it might be able to let themselves find each other. She didn't know if they'd be safe or alive at that day, but she hoped.

She hoped to meet him again.

_To be continued..._


	5. The Butcher : part 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey uh guys, if violence against women and children hurts that much, you may skip this chapter ovo. 
> 
> Anyway, enjoy to tjose who have stayed. Kudos, comments, and shares are appreciated >v<

Once again it was night and raining in the streets of Detriot. Kara walks down the road, drenched and shivering under the rain. But as cold as it was, she had to find the location given to her by Jerry's friend, ask for help, and hopefully get to Canada.

She walks until she sees tall black gates and then began to see the vast mansions that stood alone in the middle of almost nowhere with not one person would travel to. Kara takes a moment to observe the house, which looked almost as horrible and disturbing as the house of Todd Williams. Though she had no choice.

Their friend said the man is inside the house, that he could help her cross to Canada and start a new life and also get cured. As lovely as it sounds, she still doubts such wonderful things, that miracles cannot be achieved with just a walk inside a massive old mansion. Then again, she has no other choice than to be careful.

Kara finally opens the gates, closes it behind her, and walks forward to the front door, ascending to the small steps. The woman looks at the doorbell for a while and hesitates to click it, not knowing who might answer the door. Still, she did it anyway.

The bell rang in almost a static as if it were to lose its power from how old the batteries were. Though no one came to the door. She was supposed to feel happy, relieved that no one was there inside the house. But the yearning for freedom and the cure has taken the best of her. Kara goes for the button once again and awaits the door to open, which this time was immediate.

Kara flinched as the door creeks slightly open and a man is seen looking at her with wary eyes. A man that looked like the same age and hair length as Todd once before, though more facial hair. The man looked tired and... stressed.

"... Are you Zlatko..?" Kara spoke first, hoping at the same time that this man was either Zlatko or not.

"Who are you? What do you want?"

Kara hesitates to answer.

"I... I came asking for your help."

The man then acted a bit nervous or scared of something Kara didn't know. Or anger.

"... I don't know what you mean... You should leave, now."

The man began to close the door only to be stopped by Kara. The man might be her only chance and ticket to her freedom. The freedom that she worked so hard to get, that made her pull the trigger.

"P-Please..!" she said at the same time as she held the door in place. "My friend told me you could help me in Canada. He sent me your location, that's how I knew where you lived..."

And now what confused her was the fact that his expression changed suddenly, displaying an expression as if he had realized something. He looked at her with now curious eyes, looking for something on her. And then his mood relaxes.

"Ah, It's you... My mistake," he said as he fully opened the door. "Please, come in."

He smiles after. Kara finally steps inside and looks around the first floor. She notices the chandelier, the almost falling wallpaper, his disturbing paintings, and the fireplace and billiards table in the living room where she had been lead to.

"Ah, I'll take your coat off you, if you don't mind. And you must have walked far to get here that you got caught in the rain. My apologies, miss...?"

"It's Kara... just Kara."

The man nods while Kara gave up her drenched caught. She then proceeds to make her way to the couch and while she waited, and watched him pour his drink, sounds of crackling wood echoed in the house.

"How have you heard of me again?" The man then breaks the silence after ha had poured his drink and finally sits down on the couch opposite the woman.

There was another moment of silence until she started to speak.

"A... A friend of mine one day had offered to help me cross the border to Canada, saying that the cure was almost done and then ventured out of our base, possibly leading him here."

The man nods and did not say anything, letting Kara continue her tale.

"Then this morning he gave word to our group that... he had found you. That you told him you could help me... cross to Canada."

Both of them bathed in the silence for a few moments until the man started to speak, making Kara almost jump from her seat.

"Ahh... Canada..." he said, in a seemingly relaxed tone of voice as the man took a sip from his glass.

He shined her his smile and continues "Yes, it's true what your friend said. I also got the same news from an old friend of mine in Canada, that's how I knew and then just decided to do a little good and helped someone who might have needed it."

Kara sighs in relief "Ah, is that so? I'm very thankful for your kindness..."

He nods and takes the last remaining drop of wine inside his glass then proceeds to stand up and walk over back to where the whole wine bottle was arranged. For a man that drinks such substance at this hour and while the world crumbles down to the ground, he was still surprisingly sane and sober. A man who can control himself, Kara doesn't see much of them these days. This thought put her mind at ease.

A thought then came to mind.

"Oh, about my friend, where is he now?"

She asks and Kara hears the liquid stop flowing out of the bottle. Zlatko freezes, still hold both the bottle and his shot glass in both hands. His head lifts and he seemed to be looking blankly at the painting in front of him as if he had to think of something to say, a good statement that would sound reasonable.

"Ah yes, him... Sadly he left the moment he texted you that morning."

"... Did he say anything about where he was going?"

"... I'm afraid that he only told me that he hoped you'd reach this place."

Zlatko turns and flashed a... Hollow smile. Kara felt as if there was nothing behind that smile. No hope for something she believed was there, making her tear for something she couldn't see.

The silence between them grew, still, the rain kept pouring heavily outside the mansion. Kara waited until Zlatko talks once again, watching his back that faced her as his eyes were focused on the downpour. Though before Kara could ever ask another question, a creek interrupts the silence and both heads turn to the source of the noise.

To her surprise, she sees a little girl, wearing a sweater and a t-shirt inside, seemingly dirty jean shorts and leggings on the inside, and wore brown small winter boots. Kara observes the little girl. Such a beautiful little girl, with warm brown hair and brown eyes, though she seems to fear as she looks down to the wooden floor, hugging a seemingly familiar stuffed toy.

"Ah, did we wake you, little one?" asked Zlatko who still has that grin on his face.

Kara watches the exchanged stare both of them shared for a brief moment, noticing how the little girl seemed to force herself to look into the eyes of the man, her mouth open though no words were heard. And as the silence between them grew, Zlatko, that seemed to know what Kara was thinking, goes to the little girl's side and pulls her out from her hiding spot. From Kara's eyes, the little girl seemed to be frightened of the man that stood beside her.

"Now that you're here, Kara I would like you to meet Alice, she's my daughter..."

Kara smiles at the little girl and waves at her "Hello there, Alice..." she said, shining her familiar smile. To her relief, Alice does the same and waves back.

"Hi..."

The little girl, Alice, slightly waves to Kara, and the woman waves back, happy to see this little girl safe as she smiles down at her.

Zlatko chuckles "Now that the pleasantries are out of the way, I'll lead you down the basement while I'll prepare the medicine and syringe from my workplace."

Kara's brows furrowed "Medicine..?"

"Yeah, Canada borders tend to check if you were vaccinated after the evacuation announcement. And from the looks of things, I think you haven't taken one is that right?"

Kara went silent and only nods to his statement. She didn't even know Detroit had provided a small amount of vaccine during that stormy night she had gone through. And all because she wanted to be free from the nightmares that the house contains. She was finally pulled out from her thoughts when Zlatko had cleared his throat.

"Well then, shall we?"

Kara answers with a nod once again, stands up, and follows Zlatko out of the living room, feeling the little girl's eyes on her, conveying something she doesn't seem to know. And to her surprise, the little one looked somehow worried and scared as she followed her from behind, a few spaces away from her, having to be cautious.

Zlatko leads her down to a grayer area, where there was no more wallpaper and paintings, only old cages that had nothing inside but darkness and the moon illuminating from the small window. Karla stops for a while, having to seemingly notice a figure sitting down in the darkness. She tries to move closer only to stop and jump at Zlatko's call.

"Ah, I do apologize for the look of these cages. You see I just moved in a few days before the bombing and I hadn't got anyone to somehow fix the area yet."

Her eyes gaze upon Zlatko and then to the cages, only to land last at the little girl beside her that watched her every move. Kara reassures the little girl with a smile and continues to walk after Zlatko.

They enter the room and the man pushes the plastic curtain to the side, revealing a hospital bed with belt restraints. While on the left side were monitors showing off the human brain, veins, and blood circulations, and a whole-body x-ray. All of the equipment was clean just a few wires tangled at the back, though Kara didn't mind the mess. All she needed was to get the vaccine and she could leave this disturbing place afterward.

There was one more thought that had crossed her mind that seemed to have bothered her the moment she saw the little girl. But it was a useless thought. She didn't need her, she already has someone to protect her.

"Now then if you would just sit there and relax, I'll just have to get some blood sample from you so I'll know what type of vaccine I should make."

Kara nods and Zlatko begins his work. He looks for his medical gloves and reached for a nearby syringe, injecting it in Kara's shoulder and extracting what seemed to be an average amount of blood for simply a sample. With almost shaking hands, he goes to his microscope and reaches out for another syringe, where a darker shade of green with a small amount of blood-red tint was stored inside.

Once again, he froze in his position and did not move an inch, only to slowly rise to his full height when Kara had called out to him. Kara looks over to Alice that seemed to be shocked about something. Her eyes widen and tears start to fall from her warm brown eyes that had seemed to lose its colors from fear.

"This is it..." Zlatko whispered though it was loud enough for Kara to hear.

Kara then hears Alice's breath quicken as she hugged her stuffed fox tighter and tighter. Kara looks over to Zlatko once again.

"... Zlatko?"

He did not respond but turned to look at her suddenly realizing what he needed to do next and what he had done just now.

"Is everything alright?"

"Ah yes, I'll just... I'll start with preparing the vaccine. Please stay wait here..."

He said and walked out of the basement before she could even ask him about the only restraint keeping her on the hospital bed. She hears his heavy footsteps going up to the stone stairs, leaving Kara and Alice by themselves.

Kara let out a sigh of relief and looked over to Alice, smiling at the little girl's innocence. Alice looks at her too and inches her way beside her retrained arm. She eyes her restraint and the cotton ball Kara holds to put pressure on the area Zlatko had inserted the syringe.

"Alice, wasn't it? That's a nice name..."

Kara said but had no response coming out of the little girl, looking down to the shallow ground, as if she was burning a hole on them.

"So, you've lived here ever since you were born? Ah, I almost envy you, having a father that could control his drinking..."

From her peripheral vision, she sees the little girl look up from the ground, seemingly observing her.

"Anyway, how was your life before this-"

"Daddy lied."

Kara's words were interrupted by what had Alice had whispered to her. Her eyes widen and she looks over to the little girl. Alice's eyes return to the floor, feeling a pang of sudden guilt builds up inside her.

"What... What do you mean..?"

It didn't take long for Alice to regain her confidence to talk to her once again."Your friend... he escaped, but daddy's blood was injected to him..."

"Where is he now..?"

"I don't know. Daddy gave up looking for him that night. I did see him leave from the back door and ran towards the forest."

Kara's eyes shift to the direction of the door, watching if the mad man was walking inside the room, then looking back to Alice.

"He's infected... isn't he? He's... Getting blood samples from the people that believed he could help and tested if their blood could..?"

Kara asks, and it wasn't that much of a surprise when the little girl responded with a nod. Though it had her heart beat faster than ever before.

"So, am I..."

Before she could ask more, Kara hears the heavy footsteps of the mad man that owned the mansion. Kara flinched and gasped as soon as she heard him humming a tune. Alice once again shook in fear and had frozen in place, feeling the need to be beside the woman who only wanted to be free of the pain she had suffered for so long.

The man walks back to his monitors and placed the tray with only a single syringe with a substance that was tinted blue with a hint of green. Kara observes the man's movements.

"Now, I want you to lay down and try to relax, please?" He says as he walks towards her. Though, before he could get to hold her, Kara leans away from him in a quick motion, surprising Zlatko as he freezes in places.

"I... I think this isn't necessary."

Zlatko chuckles "What... What do you mean..?"

And as soon as she heard Zlatko's response, she knew it wasn't the same as the one before. Or is it? She knew there was something strange about this mad man, a somewhat force that told her he was dangerous and should never be trusted. A man that would do whatever it takes to get what he wanted, even if it means that he had to kill one of his own.

"I... I don't think I'll be needing your help anymore..."

She says and by the time Zlatko had finally processed her words, he looks over to Alice that shrunk herself beside the woman and soon understood how she knew what she shouldn't have known.

Kara then notices as his eyes lost their color and his body tenses, sending shivers down her spine. She tries quickly to reach out to the leather restraint on her wrist however was tightly grabbed by a bigger hand than hers and to be tied to the other restraint. She tries her best to yank his hand away only to be held tighter.

The woman struggles under Zlatko as he tied her to the other restraint with ease. Kara hears the little girl calling out to her father, begging for him to stop his efforts. Until the little girl finally had the heart to approach her father from behind and attempted to pull him back, just to be yanked away and fall to the floor. Kara watches as Zlatko didn't look back at the little girl to see if she was hurt and regrets his actions.

After he finally had her still, Zlatko walks backward to catch his breath and finally reaches out to one of the syringes. He does what all doctors would slowly insert the syringe and watches as Kara drifts to sleep.

"That's what you get for having a dream, it always ends up the same way. Tears and disillusionment. Believe me, you're better off being erased than feeling nothing..."

Kara hears him say, though it almost faded before it had reached her ears. Her eyes lazily drift to the little girl and see her noticing she had gone weak and could simply drift into sleep.

"Now as for you," Zlatko suddenly turns to Alice and grabs her arm "You've done a bad thing, Alice. It's time for your punishment."

Zlatko abruptly drags her away from Kara as the little girl tries to resist. It didn't take long for Alice to bite his arm. Zlatko shouts in pain and pushes the little girl away, almost as If he was scared of what she did.

"You bit me..!"

Alice stared into the man's eyes in range, only to be hated more.

"I'm gonna teach you some manners, you little shit!"

The mad man once again began dragging her away while Alice cries out for Kara's comfort. Kara helplessly watched as the little girl was dragged away from her as the room began to go dark, till she finally closes her eyes.

* * *

It had been some time now but finally, Kara opens her eyes fully, once again observing the room. The light shined too bright to her eyes that she had squinted. She looks away from the light and her eyes land on someone in a doctor's robe, their back facing her.

Kara tries to sit up only to be stopped by the same leather belt restraint on her chest. And felt some on both of her ankles. She fidgets in her place and was heard by seemingly a woman with blue eyes, blonde hair, and she wore a face mask. Kara breathes heavily as she looked so like her friend Chloe.

Chloe Hersh, the woman who had told her she envied Kara and had faked her smile in front of everyone that resides in the abandoned house. The woman looks at her and unexpectedly smiled down at her, leaving Kara feeling confused.

"Kara, wasn't it?" Asked the woman and Kara hesitantly nods in response.

"I'm... I'm still in the mansion, aren't I?"

"Sadly, yes..."

Kara sighs and closes her eyes, reflecting on her life so far. She began to shed a tear and sob as she realized how much she had wasted ao many opportunities during her times in that nightmare of a house. And during this, the woman beside her had heard her sobbing, only to turn her full attention to Kara.

"He was right... I shouldn't have gone out and look for something I could have. I should have just stayed in our base and..."

"You... How did you even find this place?" She asked, taking Kara out of her phase, the woman almost in disbelief that this person had been lead to the mansion.

"I was told by a friend that... This man could help... I shouldn't have listened..."

"... Well, it was a good thing that you did actually..."

Kara turns in surprised "Wh-what do you mean?"

"Your friend, he's alive out there. He secretly begged me to help you go out and take the little girl. He knew you'd grow attached. But the thing is..."

The woman suddenly adjusts the hospital bed for Kara to be sitting upright and sat down on a stool and observed the girl.

"Why should I?"

Kara stayed silent for a while, almost looking as if she was thinking of something reasonable to say.

"Please I... I just wanted to be free..."

"No shit, everyone does. We all fear the virus. How does that make you different?"

And with that question, Kara had finally realized what she had been running from. She had suffered enough, the world just happens to make it worst for her.

"That isn't what I'm running from..."

The woman chuckles "Oh yeah? And then what?"

"This city has brought me nothing but pain and despair. All my life it's been that way and... I just wanted to be free of that."

Kara said firmly. They stayed silent for a while as the peculiar woman's face had turned soft, shocked to have heard the story of one of the abused. The woman then shifts her eyes away from Kara and stood up, turning to the table she had been doing her work on. Kara could only watch.

"People tend to run away from their lives before but in truth, no one can. Not a single soul can run away from who they are."

Kara sighs, knowing the woman was right. Thinking that it was stupid to think that way while the world was like this.

"But you," she started and once again turns to look at Kara "you still tried to no matter how you think it's impossible. You truly are brave, Kara."

_'But I'm not...'_

Kara thought to herself as she cried, her heart filled with joy as the woman began to remove all her restraints, and soon Kara helps her.

"I'll go out of the room first, tell Zlatko that you died soon after I injected you with his blood. While you run to the room at the very end of the hallway, get Alice, and get out."

"Get Alice? But, she's your daughter..."

"She... No, I'm not her mother. I just happen to be kidnapped by Zlatko, also tricked and told that he helps people with a bit of the vaccine. When I leave, you follow after a few minutes, got that?"

"... And you wanted to help him..?"

The woman sighs "Yeah, but I never wanted this... I've killed so much, used people for his tests, and I'm done with doing his dirty work."

She needs and finally removes the last restraint by her ankles. They look at each other in understanding, not knowing how to say their thanks and goodbyes. Though before the woman had turned and left, Kara had reached out for her hand to stop her.

"Good luck..."

The woman let out a small chuckle "I should be saying that to you..."

And after that, the woman leaves the room.

* * *

  
"NO!"

Zlatko shouts as he slammed his hands on his desk, breathing heavily as to catch air, while the woman stood still, used to the man's short anger.

"How... How?! Her blood fused beautifully with the Virus! CRUSHED IT LITTLE BY LITTLE! HOW DID SHE..?"

The woman shrugged "Well, looks like that's another one in the list of mistakes. Let's rest it for the day, don't you think?"

She said as she slowly walked back to one of the tables where empty syringes are placed. Zlatko, however, as if he had felt that the air felt wrong, looks at the blood sample that he had gotten from the woman named Kara. Observing the blood sample and realizing how he had been fooled.

Though before he could turn around, the woman that he had kidnapped, the woman that he had tortured every day for a sample of her blood, had taken the risk to stab him by the arm with his own medicine.

Zlatko shouts in agony, both struggling to take control of the situation. But it didn't take long for Zlatko to have finally thrown the woman on the floor. She grunts and starts to back away from him.

"Traitor..! TRAITOR!"

The woman chuckles, almost surprising Zlatko about having to see the woman without having fear in her eyes. Zlatko holds her up from the ground by the neck.

"YOU'LL KNOW THE CONSEQUENCES OF WHAT YOU'VE DONE!"

"Do your worst, you fuck..!"

* * *

  
Kara knew she had heard enough after having listened to the conversation on the other side of the room. Still, she waited for any noise to be heard, but none came out of the walls, making her worried for her nameless friend. But there was no time to waste, she needed to get the little girl.

Kara rushed to the room at the very end of the hall, slowly as to not attract anyone's attention. The woman ignored all rooms and went straight for the very last, looking through the small hole on the wooden door. And to her relief, she sees the little girl. Safe though afraid of what the future had planned for her in this house.

Before slowly opening the door, Kata looks around the area and surprisingly saw none and heard nothing through these walls. When she comes in, the color in Alice's came back as she rushed to this peculiar woman and gave her a gift embrace.

"Kara! I can't believe it, you escaped!" The little girl rejoiced while hugging the woman with teary eyes.

Kara let out a small laugh "That makes two of us. I had some help."

"Did Carla help you?"

Kara then froze as the name was mentioned. And it had a familiar tone to it.

"Carla..?"

"Yeah! You know, the woman with blonde hair in the doctor's coat."

The woman could only reply with a chuckle to the little girl. Yes, the name did seem to have a sense of familiarity to it. Maybe she could ask this woman, Carla, her savior, later.

"Right, now, let's get out of here. Follow me and don't make any noise, okay?"

Alice nods and both ladies began to move.

Kara opens the door of the room and peeked by the other side of the wall, seeing if the mad man had gone out of his workroom. And he did, with surprisingly bloody knuckles, muttering curses while he looked around for a weapon or worse, them.

Kara rushes to another room with Alice, just in time before Zlatko shouts to the house, asking where the two of them were. Both ladies waited for a few moments to move again as long as they could never hear the man's shuffling feet on the carpeted floor.

Once again, they moved to another door that had been connected to the room beside it. They rushed inside and had finally caught some time to catch their breath.

"Let's wait here for a few more minutes and then we'll head out. Have you somehow prepared your things?" Kara asked and the little girl could only nod.

"I know this room. This is where he could have confiscated your pack. It should be around here somewhere."

"That's good. Let's search this room before we head out, stay close..."

Without a flashlight, it wasn't very easy to see in this darkness, but they didn't have much of a choice. She needed to look for her bag pack and leave with Alice. She can't give up now.

And then a sudden idea came to pass her mind. It's a storm outside, and during a storm, there would be lightning. Kara stops in her tracks and awaits the blast and the lightning to appear. As loud as it was, she was happy to see her bag at the corner of the room. She rushed in delight and reached out to her bag, giving it a tight hug. The bag was given to her by her mother, a few weeks before she...

Kara shook the thought away from her head and finally turns to look at Alice, a smile plastered on the little girl's face. Though what happened next was unpredictable and she couldn't stop it.

_To be continued..._


	6. The Butcher : part 2

> Without a flashlight, it wasn't very easy to see in this darkness, but they didn't have much of a choice. She needed to look for her bag pack and leave with Alice. She can't give up now.
> 
> And then a sudden idea came to pass her mind. It's a storm outside, and during a storm, there would be lightning. Kara stops in her tracks and awaits the blast and the lightning to appear. As loud as it was, she was happy to see her bag at the corner of the room. She rushed in delight and reached out to her bag, giving it a tight hug. The bag was given to her by her mother, a few weeks before she...
> 
> Kara shook the thought away from her head and finally turns to look at Alice, a smile plastered on the little girl's face. Though what happened next was unpredictable and she couldn't stop it.

"WATCH OUT KARA!"

Alice shouts and Kara turns to look behind her, only to be attacked by one of those monsters, the dead. Are they even? It didn't take long for Kara to be thrown to the floor and struggle to get away from the monster above her. She uses all her might to get him off her until she reached out to the revolver in her backpack and shoots the creature in between its eyes.

Blood spilled out of the wound as the bullet enters the skull and the infected lay dead on the ground. Kara quickly gets off the man and took a moment to stand and collect her thoughts in the right places. Kara then turns to Alice as she hears the little girl sob behind her.

"Are you ok?" She asks as she turned to look at the little girl, only to see her looking at her with fear.

"Kara..." The little girl could only speak of her name and point at a part of her body. Kara followers her finger and her eyes then go wide.

Her heart started to race, her eyes began to tear up, and she had been completely frozen in place. She couldn't believe what she was seeing. Kara didn't want to believe it. The woman began to tremble.

**Kara was indeed bitten.**

Alice was saying something, but she couldn't hear the little girl. No not just her but the world around her as well. Why here, why now? Did the maker hate her that much? To give her such bad luck in life. Abusive parents and a world turned into hell. When would this stop? Can her suffering be stopped? She could feel something rushing inside her as if it could burn her at any time. And she still asked why hasn't ended up like those things lurking outside this mansion.

"KARA! PLEASE, KARA!" 

Kara was suddenly pulled out of her thoughts as she looked down at Alice, pulling her and shaking her as if she had been sleeping. But that wasn't the case. The woman froze in place and hasn't moved from her spot.

"Kara please, let's go, we have to leave..!" Alice pleaded and it didn't take long for Kara to have kneeled and hugged the little girl without saying anything. Then she held her hand and runs out of the room, ignoring the shouts coming from behind them.

And once again it leads her to bad memory. A man with the same build, shouting orders at every day of her life. But that doesn't matter now, they needed to escape. And without Carla's help, it was almost impossible.

But then, shots were fired and at the same time, Kara had successfully hidden behind the stairs with Alice. They continue until Alice suggested they head for the back door. They run out to the rain, hope inside their hearts.

Not until Kara had suddenly felt her heart had stopped beating and stumbled down the muddy ground. And to the woman's surprise, Alice rushes to help her get up.

"ALICE, GO!" Kara shouts as she kept the little girl away from her.

"NO, I WON'T LEAVE YOU!"

"GO, RUN AS FAST AS YOU CAN!" Kara pleaded but it was too late, the mad man was finally there, holding his shotgun up ready to pull the trigger.

Kara rises to her feet and acts as a shield for the little girl. Zlatko walks towards them as Kara and Alice back away from him, fear taking over the hope they once had.

"See what I mean? Dreams only end in tears! You should have listened to me..!"

Zlatko shouts and aims his shotgun at Kara. The woman closes her eyes, scared of what might happen after the man pulls the trigger. 

He was right. An orphan like her would never have the life they dreamed to have. A happy family, freedom, a peaceful world to live in, and not even love. And she wished for all of that to be over, disappear into the abyss. Now it looked like it was. Both Kara and Alice hugged each other tightly, waiting for their deaths to come.

Then a shot was fired. But they haven't felt anything. No pain, no blood, just nothing. Was this how death feels? Cold and empty? Nothing but the cold air in a sudden warm feeling? No, they were still alive. But how?

Their eyes were shut so they could tell where it came from. They slowly open them and had just seen Zlatko fall to the ground, a bullet straight to his heart. Kara looks down at Alice and hugged the little girl once more, thankful to whoever has seen the other side of her.

"I was so afraid of losing you..."

Kara whispers to the little girl as they share a tight embrace under the rainy heavens. They let go of each other having to seek the person that had saved their lives. Their eyes shift beyond the mad man's corpse and saw her.

Carla was the one that saved them. She leans by the wooden post, still attempting to stand up after a long beating as she held the gun in her hand. Kara and Alice rush to her side before Carla had hit the ground. 

Carla let out a small laugh "Heh, I thought you already left..?"

Kara gave the woman a teary sad smile "I... I'm sorry I... I've failed you..."

"No, no, It's fine. Now," Carla then attempts to steady herself, her feet still a little shaky "Let's clean the house for a little while."

Carla walks ahead of them with weak feet and full of bruises while Kara stayed beside her and Alice on the other side, the act making the female doctor smile.

* * *

After exterminating all infected inside the massive mansion, both Kara and Carla rest by the fireplace in the living room while Alice took her time to pack the belongings for the long journey. While in the living room, both women clean their wounds during the long fight.

"How long have you been here..?" Kara starts the conversation with a question and the doctor turns to look.

"Couple of weeks after that company... What was it, Cyberlife? Blew up for some reason..." The woman answers as she wipes the blood from her wounds.

Kara nods and continued to arrange her things in her backpack. And from what she had heard, Cyberlife was this big company, aiming to make the world a better place for everyone and we're everyone would be living in complete harmony. But it wasn't like that in the end. Not only that, Kara had other matters to worry about. She worries about how the people are outside of this mansion. And how she'll be able to protect Alice from some of them, or how she'll trust them. Kara touches a bite under the fabric on her forearm.

And as if Carla knew what had happened while she tried to recover from Zlatko's beating, the woman lifts her hand in front of Kara. The blond fugitive looks at it in confusion.

"Show me." The woman said firmly.

While Kara was still unsure of what she meant, it took her by surprise when the woman grabs her arm with ease and rolls her sleeve up to see her bitten. But what was more surprising was that she had nothing in her face that would say she was shocked by what she'd seen. Instead, she was calm.

Carla then reaches out to some medical supplies and sits next to Kara while still holding her arm. She proceeds to start cleaning the bite mark and putting medicine. Kara opens her mouth, but before she could speak, Carla spoke first.

"Listen to me very closely, Kara. Who you'll meet out there are bounty hunters, thieves, and more nasty people. So you have to stay clear off the road because they'll do anything to look for a cure..."

Kara looks up to the woman "What do you mean..?"

Carla then stops to wipe medicine onto the wound and sighs, thinking of the best way to explain her situation. But Kara had waited patiently for her to answer.

"Do you wanna know why Zlatko had reacted the way he did when he took and checked your blood sample? Why you haven't been experiencing anything in your system?"

Kara shook her head no.

"It's because... he saw you were immune to this virus. And if we hadn't stopped Zlatko, he would have gone selfish and feed himself more until he died of it..."

In shock, Kara remained silent. She had noticed that the supposed effects of the bitten arm had not taken over her but she only assumed that it would take effect for a few more hours, she does feel somewhat weak. But something like this did not come to mind.

Kara let out a sigh "So, what is it that you want me to do..?"

Carla then held her hands firmly. The woman pauses for a while having a serious expression with a hint of worry lingering within.

"Never give up, no matter the odds. If you can't do it for yourself, do it for Alice's sake. And if you're going to trust someone, don't let them see through you, watch them from a distance."

Carla then continues to cover her bite mark with a clean bandage while Kara was in deep thought. She had to do it, she seems to have the power to do this. The world was hell, this wasn't that of a surprise. But to protect someone, that would be her only mission until the world was back to its serene form.

"I will... Thank you, Carla."

Carla finally shines her smile "You remind me of my sister... She was very brave... caring. And she would always stand when she fell..."

Kara's eyes widen from Carla's mention of her sister, and she wasted no time to ask "Y-You have a sister..?"

"Yeah. We were triplets. We got separated even before this virus came, while we were still working students. See, we had a big fight and it ended up into a disaster..."

"I... I might have met one of your sisters..."

Carla's attention was now on Kara, she arches her brow "Oh? Which one?"

Kara chuckles "It was Chloe. She was nice and all but she kinda envies me for some reason..."

The woman then fell into silence, confusing Kara as to why she had suddenly stopped talking and was now in deep thought. Her brows were furrowed and her eyes were locked to the floor as if she would burn holes into them from how intense she stared at it.

When Carla finishes wrapping the bandage to her arm, Kara calls put to her and the doctor flinched, asking why she had been called out. But then she disregards her question and clears her throat.

"A-Anyway, Zlatko has a car around back in his garage. It'll take a moment to run it. I'll be back in a minute, stay here for a while, got it?"

Once Kara responds with a nod, Carla stands and walks away from Kara, passing by Alice who had just recently finished gathering her belongings. The little girl rushes to Kara and suddenly hugs her. While Kara returned the kind gesture.

"How are you holding up?" Asks Alice who was visibly worried for her savior.

The question made Kara giggle "Isn't it me who was suppose to ask you that question?"

"Well, you saved me so... I wanted to make sure you were alright and..." Alice fell silent and her eyes started to tear up "I'm sorry for causing you all this trouble..."

The woman's eyes go wide and she quickly comforts the little girl "Oh no, no, no, it's alright. Don't worry it was worth it. As long as you're safe, I'll be fine."

Before the little girl could even let out a sob, she was fully comforted with love and had received another hug from Kara. Alice holds Kara as if her life depended on it, and Kara wouldn't blame her. She was doing the same.

"You'll never leave me, right? Promise you'll never go..."

At this, Kara had the chance to say it out loud.

"I promise..."

"Will we be together forever..?"

Alice looks up to Kara and is greeted with a seemingly sad smile.

"Forever."

* * *

Kara walks out of the mansion hand in hand with Alice while Carla waited by the car, leaning on to the vehicle with her arms crossed, her normal attire changed into something for mid-winter. And as if she had noticed Kara staring, Carla flashed her a smile.

"Yeah, I needed to change. Didn't want people knowing I'm a doctor and get killed by it... Anyway,"

Carla then opens the passenger side door on the opposite side of the driver's and Alice wasted no time to go inside the car. Carla shuts the door and shifts her attention back to her friend.

"By the way, can you drive?"

"Y-Yeah I can, but..." Kara paused "What about you? Where will you go from here?"

The question had silenced the woman and was now left to think. Though, it didnt takes her long before she could reply following up with a sad smile.

"I thought it would be best if we split up. It isn't that easy to have that many people around... Especially someone like me with people like you. No offense..."

"O-Oh none took..."

She was right. With her time with Zlatko and with the people who may have gone in and out of his house would still have a fresh memory of who Carla is. Having to know that the woman cared for their safety was relaxing for a start before her long journey with a little girl to take care of. Kra smiles at the thought of still having allies during this mess.

"Oh, and one more thing," Her voice had then pulled Kara out of her thoughts.

The woman then places something metallic wrapped by a cloth was inside Kara's hand "There's a place called Jericho. Markus, the head of the group, knows who I am and he would always send his best men to scout near and far places from their docks."

Carla lets go of Kara's fist and left her to open up what was inside. It was indeed a cloth that had a mark painted on it while the inside was a silver star necklace. She observes both objects before she looked up to Carla for confirmation.

"Now, the cloth is to whoever you meet on your way to Jericho. Search for the same symbol on anyone's clothing, the mark is always on their right forearm. And for my necklace," Carla paused and shared a look with Kara, and as if she knew this special woman for a long time, she knew Kara had caught up fast. 

"If I didn't make it to Jericho—"

"Please don't say that."

Carla sighs "Again if I ain't make it to Jericho, you shout to everyone in Jericho about who owns that necklace and tell them I sent you, and you have to state that you're a fugitive just like them. Once you've convinced Markus and the other leaders, look for Lucy."

Kara could speak. She knew that from the days before this mess, she had wanted to end it all, however, when it came to hearing someone say that there was a possibility of them dying along the way to the sanctuary, she couldn't handle such despair that lingered in one's voice. Kara clutches both items and she replies with a nod.

She soon enters the driver's side of the car and turns the ignition. Carla goes down to the level of the car window and leans a little inside.

"When you stop on the road with no more gas, leave the car behind and stay on the road. Most thieves would fake their identity being a member of Jericho for example. Bunch of dickheads... "

Kara chuckles "Yeah, I'll... Keep that in mind." At the moment Kara lets go of the keys of the car, Carla's hand had caught hers.

"One more thing," she said and gave Kara a serious expression "My sister that you've mentioned to me, the one that envied you? That wasn't Chloe. That was Catherine, she tends to get so envious of Chloe that she may just be living like her when she isn't there to see. I'm sorry about that by the way..."

"No, it's fine. What about her did you want to talk to me about?"

"She..." Carla let out a frustrated sigh "Just keep your distance from her. She doesn't like women who are prettier than her."

Both women let out a small laugh at the low reason to hate other women for their charm. Carla gave Kara's car one more pat on the door and stood straight while Kara slowly drove away from the mansion, letting out a sigh of air as if she had been holding it in throughout the night.

"Hey, Kara? If you hadn't met me, where would have you gone out to?" Alice asks innocently as she sat next to Kara from the passenger seat

Kara chuckles "Wh... Why with the sudden question, Alice?"

"I'm thankful for you saving me but," Alice pauses and Kara suddenly hears her sniff up a tear "It feels like I've made it harder for you..?"

Kara shifts her eyes from the road to Alice for a split second and finally decides to stop the car. She shifts her self to face the little girl and hug her. To this, Alice this was a surprise and she slowly hugs back.

"Don't worry, little one. We'll be fine, trust me and I'll always be there for you. Keep you safe..."

She continues soothing the little girl until Alice finally starts to calm herself down. They let go and Kara notices how she had also been in tears just thinking of their future. She wipes them away and starts the engine before looking back at the rearview mirror. She attempts to look for her friend, only to see that no one was there standing.

Kara gave one last smile to this place and steps on the gas and they soon drive into the forest while the sun rose up from the north. 

_To Be Continued..._


	7. Little Announcement + Apology

Hey guys..!

Uhm... Anyway, sorry if this story seemed to be likea homework that's been copied and somewhat revised, but i assure you all i will change course of the story and add my own ideas.

After all, it's only the beginning ;))

The future chapters will be different (different as in it won't be like the chapters in dbh, it might be just based on different movies it took a liking at.) and uh a little something-something that would strengthen their bond if ya know wat em sayin'—

And subscribe on my YT channel (same username, only without 'writting") and watch the trailers I've edited for my fanfics :DD

Anyway, let me know what you thought so far about this fanfic down in the comments pls! Stay safe everyone <3


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